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11.2 Fundamental Particles

Question Paper

Course CIE AS Physics

Section 11. Particle Physics
Topic 11.2 Fundamental Particles
Difficulty Medium

Time allowed: 30
Score: /25
Percentage: /100

Page 1 of 5

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Question 1a
(a)
Carbon–10 (106 C) is an isotope that decays to an isotope of boron (symbol B) by the emission of a β+ particle.

(i)
Complete the nuclear equation for this decay, including the proton and nucleon numbers of all the particles involved.

10 C →
6
[3]

(ii)
During the decay, a quark in the carbon-10 nucleus changes into a different type.

State the change of quark that occurs.

[1]
[4 marks]

Question 1b
(b)
State the two leptons in this decay.
[2]
[2 marks]

Page 2 of 5

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Question 1c
(c)
State and explain why a hadron with charge –3e cannot exist.

e is the elementary charge.

[3]
[3 marks]

Question 1d
(d)
State the possible quark combination for a hadron of charge +2e.
[1]
[1 mark]

Question 2a
(a)
State the quark composition of an alpha particle.
[2]
[2 marks]

Question 2b
(b)
Use the quark model to show that the charge on the anti-neutron is 0.
[2]
[2 marks]

Page 3 of 5

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Question 2c
(c)
A sigma baryon Σ is a hadron that consists of an up (u) quark, a down (d) quark and a strange (s) quark.

State the quark composition of Σ+ , Σ0 and Σ– .

[3]
[3 marks]

Question 2d
(d)
⎯⎯
Explain why a baryon with the quark composition u ds cannot exist.
[1]
[1 mark]

Question 3a
(a)
State the number of 'up' quarks in the nucleus of 27
13
Al .
[1]
[1 mark]

Page 4 of 5

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Question 3b
The D particle has a quark structure u ⎯⎯c .
(b)
Determine

(i)
the classification of the D particle,
[1]

(ii)
the charge on the D particle.
[1]
[2 marks]

Question 3c
(c)
Using the quark model, show that the magnitude of the charge of a proton is equal to the charge of an electron.
[1]
[1 mark]

Question 3d
(d)
Using the quark model for β+ decay, show that charge is conserved in this decay.
[3]
[3 marks]

Page 5 of 5

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